The Perfect Gift
by Saiyako
Summary: Shuichi's coyness about his birthday leaves Yuki scrambling to find him the perfect present in time. Shounen ai, oneshot.


**_The Perfect Gift_**

Yuki looked at the rabbit. The rabbit looked back, black button-eyes gleaming a little in the light reflecting off the shop window. A few passers-by stopped to stare at them both, wondering at the odd showdown between the famous novelist and the small, pink, plush bunny, until Yuki felt their gazes on him and met their curiosity with a cold glare that sent them scurrying off to whatever errand they were about. Not that he cared. The only thing that mattered to Eiri Yuki right now was the thing that was most annoying him - the irritatingly cute rabbit that he wished he could get out of buying. But this late in the day, and after everything, he really had no other choice.

"Damn girly brat," he muttered under his breath as he pushed open the shop door.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXX-

If Shuichi had just been more straightforward with him, there would never have been a problem. All the brat had had to do was _mention_, comfortably ahead of time, that next Monday was his birthday and that it might be nice to spend the day doing something special with his lover, and Yuki would have... well, not _dropped_ everything, exactly, his editor wasn't _that_ forgiving, but he could have moved a couple of meetings, cut another one short...

But as it was, all the boy had done was spend the last week pouting every time Yuki had mentioned having things to do that Monday, and hanging around the toyshop windows saying things like, "Look at that little panda, isn't it just so cute, Yuki?" (after Shuichi's fourth excited yell of "Kawaii!" in one day, Yuki had walked away and left the brat to windowshop on his own - it was much easier on his ears that way), and not actually mentioning the word "birthday" even once.

And so Yuki had ended up spending the whole day in meetings with his editor, his publicist, and other assorted people involved in the tortuous process of getting his latest book onto the shelves, and it was only when, on his way out of the editor's office at 3 in the afternoon, he happened to glance at the calendar on the receptionist's desk, that he noticed the date. _Oh, shit._ And he hadn't even remembered to get the brat a present...

Thus, he'd spent the last hour and a half wandering around every shop he could find, looking for _just_ the right present for his lover (because he knew that if it _wasn't_ just the right thing after he'd left Shuichi alone all day, the boy would cry and probably hate him forever for ruining his birthday, or something else annoyingly melodramatic like that. The kid was such a drama queen, it was no wonder he couldn't write), and his search had led him, at last, to the bright pink rabbit that met his glare with a look somehow different from the blank smiles of the other stuffed animals - just as cheerful, but with a hint of iron stubbornness and tenacity under that cuteness. And without stopping to think about the sheer stupidity of assigning hidden personality quirks to a damned _stuffed toy_, Yuki had decided the pink rabbit was what Shuichi was going to have for his birthday. And he'd damn well better like it.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Shuichi Shindou lay stretched out on his bed, noticeably not working. He was _supposed_ to be working - he'd promised Hiro the lyrics to their new album would be done by the end of the week, and he hadn't even finished the second song... but he was too depressed to write. Yuki had been busy all day, not even seeming to notice that it was his lover's birthday, even after the hints the singer had been dropping all week.

_If he cared about me at all, he'd remember_, he thought, letting out a mournful sigh. _It's cruel to leave me all alone on my birthday..._ Okay, so he wouldn't be alone _all_ day, since he was going out with Hiro tonight, but it wasn't the same... he just wanted some attention from his lover on his birthday, was that too much to ask?

Apparently it was. He sighed again, not bothering to get up as he heard the door open, followed by Yuki's footsteps. It wasn't like Yuki would _want_ to see him, anyway. So he just lay there, continuing to mope, as the footsteps came closer. He was so convinced Yuki would walk past the room without stopping that almost gasped in surprise when the door opened, revealing the tall blond standing in the doorway, one hand behind his back as if he was hiding something.

"Yuki?" he whispered, almost scared to ask why the man was there. Had he decided he really _didn't_ love Shuichi anymore? Had he come to break up with him...?

"You look like hell," was all Yuki said as he stepped into the room and closed the door, careful to keep whatever was behind his back out of the singer's view. He crossed the room in silence, not speaking again until he'd sat down by the likewise silent Shuichi. "I didn't have time to wrap it, but... here." And his hand came out from behind his back, holding something small and pink and soft. "Happy birthday, brat."

Shuichi stared at the stuffed rabbit in disbelief. But... Yuki had forgotten, hadn't he? Wasn't that why he'd left him alone all day? Because he didn't care enough to remember...?

Tearing his gaze from the rabbit, he looked up into Yuki's serious eyes, and for the first time since his lover had left that morning, began to smile.

"You _did_ remember! But why were you gone all day? I thought..."

"Because I didn't remember," Yuki admitted, looking away. "I'm sorry. I should have realised sooner... I could have at least gotten you a better present."

"_Better?_" Shuichi's faint smile suddenly blossomed into a huge, delighted grin. Yuki _did_ care about him after all! "But it's already perfect, Yuki, because it comes from you!"

"But - " Yuki began to protest, but broke off, startled, as Shuichi threw himself on him in a glomp. But it was just a stupid plushie...

"Don't you get it, Yuki?" Shuichi asked, gazing up at his lover's face. "As long as I have you, that's all I need."

And at last, Yuki smiled back, wondering, not for the first time, how he'd ever managed to deserve such love as he'd gotten from this overenthusiastic boy.

"Yeah, brat," he grinned. "I get it. And I promise I won't ever forget your birthday again."

And as Yuki's lips came down to capture Shuichi's, the pink rabbit looked on, it's cheerful, determined grin just like that of the pink-haired boy in Yuki's arms... although for the rest of the evening, Yuki was far too preoccupied to notice.

Owari

A/N: This, like my One Piece fic, The Gift of Faith (which I wrote last year and was just superslow to upload), was written as a birthday present for my best friend, RedPirate-chan... Happy Birthday, Red! 

Constructive crit is especially welcome on this one, since it's the first time I've attempted to write either of these guys.


End file.
